June 15, 2015 twice, Andy won twice, his first ATP Tour event An interview with: and his last event. Once we knew we had Andy coming for a single's exhibition and Mardy's commitment to play MARDY FISH in our main draw singles, I was thinking to myself, ANDY RODDICK Gosh, wouldn't it be great if those guys would agree to stay and play main draw doubles J. WAYNE RICHMOND together. It probably wasn't, because less than 24 EDDIE GONZALEZ hours later Andy and Mardy's team reached out to me and said, What do you think about Andy and BRENDAN McINTYRE: Good morning, Mardy playing doubles together? everyone. This is Brendan McIntyre, the director of So we are very excited to announce corporate communications for the USTA. I'd like to publicly for the first time here that Andy is actually welcome everyone to the first conference call of coming out of retirement to play main draw doubles the 2015 Emirates Airline US Open Series. here in Atlanta with his good friend Mardy. We'll Today's call is on behalf of the BB&T Atlanta talk about that today, as well as what the rest of Open. their summer plans are. Joining us today are Andy Roddick and Before we get to that, J. Wayne is our Mardy Fish, to talk about their summer plans. J. general manager and wants to say a few words. Wayne Richmond, the general manager of the J. WAYNE RICHMOND: Thanks, Eddie. Emirates Airline US Open Series, and Eddie First, thanks to the press and media to be with us Gonzalez, the tournament director and chief this morning. development officer for the BB&T Atlanta Open. Andy and Mardy have always been two of At this time I'd like to allow Eddie to give a my favorites, I know fan favorites across the U.S., few brief remarks and open up the call. and I think they own the Atlanta event between the EDDIE GONZALEZ: Thank you. two of them. Today is a big day for us because it's our These two guys have been supporters of Media Day. We're extremely excited and honored the Series since day one. Andy has been the to kick off the Emirates Airline US Open Series Series champion twice, in '05 and '06. The only with the summer hard courts leading up to other player to do that has been Nadal. Mardy did eventually the US Open. the same in 2011. Today we announce our player field. We're just excited to have you two guys Being the first tournament back in the United back. We have a great summer ahead. I look States, we really wanted to kind of kick off our forward to seeing everybody on the road, opening ceremony and session with a celebration particularly in Atlanta in a few weeks. of American tennis. That's going to feature a Welcome back, Andy and Mardy. singles exhibition with Andy Roddick as a great BRENDAN McINTYRE: At this time we're former American champion against Frances ready to open up the line for Q&A. Tiafoe, a future American champion. We're also very excited to Mardy has agreed to come play Q. Andy and Mardy, could you talk singles. about why you wanted to do this. I remember Atlanta has a lot of nice history to both last year you had talked about hoping to try to players because Mardy has won our tournament do this sort of thing maybe at the US Open. I'm 06.15.15 1 visit our archives at asapsports.com wondering whether that's in the plans for later I'm training probably harder than Andy is this summer. now because of the singles stuff. But I'm on him to ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, we did want to hopefully get back and at least start practicing a play the Open last year, but it was my fault. I didn't little bit more. know the rules. I'm getting back into the drug But we're super excited. testing pool. So I kind of got Mardy all excited ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, that's one of my about it and couldn't actually do it. favorite stories, too. I remember it differently I think this is something we wanted to do. because I do know that Mardy was definitely Obviously with Mardy's comeback, it's been a cheating. The yelling by my father was warranted pretty amazing story. The fact that he's going to (laughter). pursue that even more this summer is really But, yeah, we're just excited. I think the exciting. priority is on Mardy playing singles. We're going to We've been friends for a long time. We have some fun with the doubles. For a moment in kind of just wanted to play together one last time. I time there, three or four years ago, Mardy could wanted to play with my friend and kind of share in win on tour with anybody in doubles. He's one of his comeback a little bit. the best doubles players I've ever seen. I don't think we're going to play in the US I'm looking forward to it. I plan on losing Open. I have some personal stuff coming up later five pounds by the Atlanta tournament, then this year that I won't be able to play. gaining 10 pounds back right away. Once we knew that, Atlanta seemed like the obvious choice. We both had success there. Q. Andy, I assume that part of the We both love that tournament. I'm just jumped. I personal reasons towards the end of the year is hope I don't embarrass myself out there. I'm real impending fatherhood. Am I right there? excited. ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. A lot of naps. I wasn't a very good doubles player when I I'm planning on taking a lot of naps this fall. was actually good at tennis. Mardy is going to have to do the heavy lifting. Q. Can you talk a little bit about kind of your expectations, your apprehensions, and Q. You two have had a relationship in whichever sex this child is, would you like the juniors. You played one another 13 times them to be playing professional tennis? in the pro ranks. How exciting is this to be ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. The doing this US Open Series together? Andy, question might be about 20 years premature. could you share your favorite story about You ask around, and everyone has some Mardy. Mardy, if you could share your favorite advice. Mardy is a new father. His son Beckett is story about Andy, that would be great. just the best. Thank goodness he looks like his ANDY RODDICK: Oh, God. I'll let you mother. lead, Mardy, so I know what to respond with. You can have expectations, but I'm not MARDY FISH: I could go a lot of different going to know what it's all going to be like until the ways with that one (laughter). baby's actually here. First of all, yeah, I echo Andy's sentiment. We're just really excited. We feel very We're really excited to play. Like he said, we've lucky. been friends forever, since we were 12, playing each other. Where was that, Altamonte Springs, Q. Mardy, can you chime in on that a Sanlando Park, was maybe the first time we played little bit, too, as to athletics in your kid's future. when we were 11 or 12. Your dad thought I was MARDY FISH: He's going to be an cheating you. athlete. He's going to be either a golfer or baseball ANDY RODDICK: You probably were player. He's going to be lefty. He has no choice. (laughter). MARDY FISH: I wasn't. Your dad yelled Q. He has no choice? at me because he thought I was cheating, but I MARDY FISH: No (laughter). wasn't. You ended up beating me 7-6, 7-6. First time we ever played in a real match. Q. You're seeing signs already of No, we've got a long history. We're excited to do it there again in Atlanta. 06.15.15 2 visit our archives at asapsports.com athletic ability, I assume? ANDY RODDICK: I've actually never MARDY FISH: When he picks up his heard that question before (laughter). plastic golf club, he picks it up lefty. I get so MARDY FISH: I can start a little bit excited. But then he grabs it with his right hand because I'm out at Carson at our West Coast base and he whacks it with his right hand and I get for the USTA. I'm out here quite a bit. I've hit a lot bummed. with a lot of those guys. So we'll see. We got a lot of young players coming up. By 'young' I mean obviously Jack Sock, who is 22 Q. Mardy, with the singles comeback, years old, but some of these guys are 17. No. 1 how far down the road are you looking? How junior in the world right now, Taylor Fritz, has a big much do you think you'd like to do, or you're future. There's quite a lot of young guys that really not really thinking about that just yet? can play. MARDY FISH: Unfortunately I can only I think age-wise underneath those young look to Atlanta, just with how things have gone in Aussies that are coming up in Kyrgios, some of the past few years, how things went in Indian those kids, Tomic, who are 22 and 21 years old, Wells.